It is a very timely article for those involved in research related to hydatidosis and it is one of the few parasitological diseases studied well in the eastern part of Libya1,2,3 (by the present author a few years ago). Now there are various biochemical studies related to this field, including the recently published online article on Antigen B which is being analysed and reported as a complex Lipoprotein complex 229kDA. It is said that it has the capability to transport fatty acids, sterols which could be for biosynthetic purposes and also signaling events associated with parasite metabolism and development

Previous work suggested that EgAgB8 apolipoproteins are capable of binding fatty acids. However, the fact that HCF, the physiological milieu to which EgAgB is secreted, contains a wide range of neutral and polar lipids opens up the possibility that the putative physiological ligands of EgAgB8 apolipoproteins include a more diverse set of lipids.4

The need for long term treatment or timely surgical intervention in removal of the cyst makes it imperative to conduct more basic research related to this field.

1. Sheriff D, El Fakhri M, Kidwai SA (1989) Lipids in hydatid fluid collected from lungs and livers of sheep and man. Journal of Helminthology 63: 266–268.
2. Sheriff DS, Dar FK, Kidwai SA Metallic elements in hydatid fluid.J Helminthol 1984 Dec; 58(4) :335-6.
3. Sheriff DS,Hawarsha KG.Cholesterol levels as a measure of degeneration of human hydatid cyst. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1985;79(4):561.
4. Gonzalo Obal, Ana Lía Ramos, Valeria Silva, et al. Characterisation of the Native Lipid Moiety of Echinococcus granulosus Antigen B May 2012 Issue of PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases

Competing interests: None declared